14 days is a long time no matter how I look at it, seeing as I tend to be a here and now kind of person! So 14 days off of the bike is just pure torture! In August I decided to get a cycling coach because I have some rather large dreams that go along with my bike and I was pretty sure that following them could no longer involve the statement, "meh I'll just ride another hour easy today...recovery!" So I went through September with an actual day to day training plan, I was loving it...like my good friend/teammate/pro triathlete
Kelsey Kooreman would say..."Hooray for super-fitness!!" However the party ended late September when my coach dropped two HUGE bombs!!
Bomb #1: (and I quote) "I would prefer that you NOT do cyclocross this year because of risk of injury (this may have been good advice since one of matt's friends went down over a barrier this weekend at a cross race and broke his collar bone in
3 places...ouch!!) and more importantly so you can build a larger aerobic base." What....no cross...no more 45 minute pain cave, dirty, bloody, barrier hoping, lung exploding, muddy hill running, endo after endo, adrenaline driven races!! Sad Sad Sadness!! The first race was this weekend, I went out to cheer for
Matty Matt and the
Tease! It happened to be on my favorite course...I was a bit bummed I wasn't racing but it was still a blast to watch!
Matt gettin paid by Sly Fox!
The Tease gettin paid...or just showing some leg!;)
Barrier action!
Matt's winning pose!! :)
Bomb #2: Not long after I was informed that cross was no longer a winter option, good ole
coach Corey informed me that after the Harvest Moon crit I had to take a two week break. TWO WEEKS...with NO cycling! In an attempt to maintain sanity I emailed him to ask if I could run...the thought of going back to my trail running roots made me a little excited. The dream was crushed when I was told that the first week had to be complete rest, no running, no weights, NOTHING!! Sheesh! I realize I probably sound nuts, I admit I am a little bit on the crazy side but cycling makes me happy, it is what I look forward to the very most in a day...14 days without it was going to be a long road.
I lasted 5 whole days before I broke the "first week do nothing" rule and went trail running up Millcreek Canyon. I couldn't stand it anymore...mainly because I tend to eat a lot (and I mean A LOT) of food and I was doing absolutely nothing to burn any of it besides sit on my butt in class and at work! So the day after the first mountain snow of the year I headed up Millcreek Canyon to one of my old favorite trail running routes: Desolation trail!
I started slow just a lite jog, however after the first 500 meters I was already huffing, puffing, and coming to a very obvious realization...
Just because you can ride a bike for hours, does not mean you can run well...or even a little bit well...or really at all...Haha! Last summer all I did was trail run and I loved it!! I used to run up that trail, back down, and then back up again!! I am a bit stubborn and at first I was determined to run the trail without stopping...however five minutes in when I thought my lungs were gonna explode I decided to just slow down...ten minutes after that when I realized I could probably walk faster than I was "jogging" (you know the "jog" where you are basically going at the pace of a slow walk but moving your arms like you are jogging...not quite sure who I was trying to fool with that!) I decided that stopping every so often would be the only way I'd make it...I'll admit the ego was a little bruised! However all of that stop and go made for some great photos!
Of course during my off weeks, Matt and his family had to make the most ridiculously good food!! Last night at Matt's parents we ate green chile burgers, chile relleno, and the best enchiladas you can imagine. Then Matt and I went home to make Z bread for friends/family and of course ended up eating an entire loaf ourselves!! Sheesh do we have any will-power at all...the easy answer is Heck NO we don't! Working out or not, I will never complain about getting to eat delicious food like that!! (Unfortunately I only have one stolen pic of the green chile burger!;) I honestly can't describe in words how GOOD this burger is...and I mean G-O-O-D!!!!! The recipe must be shared and tried so click
here! And make it, you wont regret it, you'll prob eat two, or three...I'd eat 4 it's really that good!!
Another dose of yummy/fattening foods came this week in my
culinary chemistry class! We made 4 different kinds of bread: French, Focaccia, banana, and soda bread! I love bread!! Especially Focaccia...who wouldn't like bread that is made with massive amount of olive oil!! Lets just say I ate half the pan in class, along with half my french bread, two pieces of banana bread, and a small sliver of soda bread (Only a small sliver because I didn't like it! Which is rare!) Yep Oink and Oink are the only two words that could describe me that day!!
I'm on day 9 now...just 5 more to go! The good news is I am actually allowed to cross train this week (minus today which is still supposed to be an OFF day. What I am taking a day off from I'm not quite sure!) The rest of the week I get to do stability exercises and cross training of some kind, then it is back on the bike! Pheeewwww!
